Department of Justice

Wilmington Man Sentenced to Incarceration for Role in Straw Purchasing Handguns

WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Aleem Shabazz, age 27, of Wilmington, Delaware, was sentenced this week by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Leonard P. Stark to 47 months incarceration. On February 4, 2016, after a four-day jury trial, Shabazz was found guilty of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and two counts of Making False Statements to a Firearms Dealer.

According to evidence presented at trial and statements made in documents filed in court, in January of 2015, Shabazz, a five-time felon, induced his girlfriend to straw purchase two semi-automatic pistols for him. The firearms were straw purchased when the girlfriend represented to Cabela’s, a licensed firearms dealer, that she was the actual purchaser. In fact, she knew Shabazz was the actual purchaser. Shabazz directed his girlfriend which guns to purchase and gave her the money to pay for them. Police recovered one of the pistols, with an obliterated serial number.

Following the sentencing, Acting U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “This sentence should serve as a deterrent for any felons who would attempt to obtain firearms by straw purchase, or otherwise. All parties to an illegal firearms transaction should be on notice that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Daniel L. Board, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said, “ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement and industry partners to stem the flow of firearms from legal commerce into the hands of convicted felons, violent criminal organizations or any person who has an intent to negatively impact the safety of our communities and neighborhoods."

This case was investigated by special agents of the ATF-Wilmington Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whitney Cloud and Edmond Falgowski.